With the advent of smartphones, laptops, tablets and other portable electronic devices, a child may now have un-tethered access to the Internet, various communication protocols (e.g. phone, video phone, email, text chatting, and text messaging), and a wide variety of digital entertainment. However, such devices may serve as a distraction which prevents a child from behaving responsibly. Parents are keen to keep an eye on their children's behavior including communication, travel and what media and information their children are exposed to. Further, parents may want to limit the amount of time their children spend exploring and consuming various electronic media (e.g. television and Internet content).
School teachers and administrators also have an interest in keeping the children in their classes focused on class work without distractions from the children's portable electronic devices. Many, perhaps most children bring their mobile devices to school. Children send text messages during class, browse the web, and play gaming applications such as Angry Birds™. Schools would like to be able to impose constraints on such usage by limiting what kinds of activities children can engage in with their mobile devices while on school premises or engaged in school activities.